Moments Alone
by LessMakino
Summary: After the Arrival dlc Shepard and Garrus are left alone in her cabin worried about the future and their hopes of surviving the very real threat of the Reapers.
1. Moments alone: Chapter 1, moments alone

_(Authors notes)_

_So this takes place just after the Arrival DLC in Mass effect 2, Shepard has returned after blowing up the relay and is in her cabin with Garrus. So far I haven't given this Shepard a name since a lot of people don't like it. ;P But hey we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, and by the way this Shepard is mostly Paragon. Anyway please enjoy the story!_

_Edit: I don't own the Mass effect universe or anything in it! Please don't sue me! D:_

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><p><em>Moments alone<em>

She sighed held within Garrus's arms, both of them lied on the bed, Garrus with his arm around Shepard and hers resting on his collar. It had been so long since they were last together, her eyes glanced towards his face, he remained unmoved thinking to himself. So much had happened in the last few hours.

Not long ago Garrus was pacing around the main battery waiting for something… Anything! It had been two days since they last had contact with Shepard, she just disappeared so suddenly, it all started with that call from Admiral Hackett. Not too long after that Shepard had left the Normandy, without so much as a goodbye. He was so confused, then the worry started to settle in, she had been gone for more the twenty four hours. _What was he to do? Just wait here? He didn't know if he should go looking for her or… Or what..?_ He had no idea, _why didn't she say goodbye? What could be so important for her to just leave like that? _He shook his head until he started to bring himself back to the present.

He looked down to the tiny human in his arms, Shepard, the only one he truly loved. He tightened his grip on her, in response her slender fingers moved down his chest before she gave him a small hug. They had barely said a word to each other since Shepard had explained what had happened to her, everything was so shocking, the Reapers imminent arrival, the destruction of the mass effect relay. And not to mention, that batarian colony, he didn't know what to say, he wanted to comfort her, but the only words that came to his mind felt shallow and empty.

_Damm it! _Why couldn't he find the right words..? He cleared his throat in an attempt to say something, but instead he just continued to stare up into the starry void above Shepard's bed.

As he cleared his throat Shepard closed her increasingly tired eyes, she rested her head on the Turians warm chest. He exhaled slowly as his mind mulled over all these confusing events.

Why? Why did all of this happen to him? All he wanted to care about was Shepard, but they had the Reapers to worry about, and now… The chance of Shepard being put on trial for what happened, it's not fair, she didn't have the choice, it was life or death.

The Turian finally snapped out of his thoughts as he noticed the human falling asleep on his chest, he smiled the best he could, it was a rare site seeing his beloved mate fall asleep before him. She would often wait till he was asleep or had at least pretended to, he always wondered if it was just a human thing, he gently moved his spare talon and slowly brushed some stray strands of hair away that had fallen upon her face.

He sighed one last time and looked back up into the dark cold space above them. He didn't want to worry about the Reapers now, it was unimaginable the chaos they would cause, all he wanted to care about was his mate.

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><p><em>(Authors notes)<em>

_Well thanks for reading! This isn't the last chapter, I will properly post quite soon since it's a short one._

_But tell me what you think! Good or bad I would love to hear it, oh and before I forget. _

_A huge thanks to all those who read my last stories, yes I am sad to leave them behind but I think it's for the best. So hey, let's look to the future and all the awesome stories were going to have. ;P_

_Till next time! Bye! _


	2. Moments alone: Chapter 2, Reflection

(Authors notes) _Sweet I got some reviews! ;D Thanks a lot, I really didn't expect to get any so soon, anyway here's a new chapter to make up for the lack of length in the last one. Enjoy!_

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><p>Reflection<p>

Garrus lifted his head, he still remained on the bed where he was the night before, practically in the exact same spot, but there was one difference. His mate, she was no longer with him, he sat up suddenly his eyes adjusting to the now rather brightly lit room. '_'Shepard_?'' He called out for her but there was no reply, he stared across to the spot she slept the night before, he gently brushed his hand across the sheets. It was still warm, she hadn't been gone long, maybe she had just gotten something to eat.

He finally stood up making the bed before he did anything else, he didn't want Shepard complaining again about how messy he could be. He walked around the room briefly, not knowing if he should wait for her return or just leave. But he didn't want to leave, he didn't want to Calibrate the Normandy's guns all day, he wanted to be with Shepard.

As he walked around the room the fish tank caught his eyes, he was always curious about the relationship between Humans and water. He stared at the tank, his eyes following the fish dance around inside, the dim blue glow of the tank reflected along the walls and across Garrus's face.

He tapped the glass gently in curiosity, he thought to himself as he did, ''_why fish? Why bring such fragile creatures out into space? It made no sense_''; he shook his head stepping away from the glass.

He remembered some offhand comment Kelly made about ''Running water being relaxing for humans'', he didn't understand it. It almost did the opposite for him; he was never comfortable with water. His talons twitched as his impatience grew, he glanced over to the door hoping Shepard would step through it any minute now, but she didn't.

He decide to sit back down he stared at the mess they had created over the last couple hours, the wine he brought up from their first night together was still on the table. He picked it up examining it, he never thought he would find peace in a humans arms. But it really didn't matter to him that Shepard was human, she was Shepard, that's all that he cared about. He dropped the bottle back down on the table, his talons fiddled with the stitching on the sofa as he waited.

Where is she? He grumbled in disappointment, I guess she's waiting for me, He decided to finally leave his mates cabin, as he did he gave one last curious glance at the fish dancing around in their glowing blue cage.

He leaned against the wall of the elevator as he headed down to the CIC, if she wasn't there someone would know where she was, and plus he wanted to ask Mordin some more questions about the Human anatomy. It was an awaked subject to talk about, it made him feel like a child, as if it was his farther explaining ''_where babies come from_''. He grunted again folding his arms, the lift still slowly making its decent to the floors below. He didn't really like thinking about his farther, they hadn't spoke since he left C-sec for Omega. He shifted his weight, uncomfortable with his own thoughts.

He continued thinking about his family as the lift continued it's quite decent, ''_I should talk to Solana again, maybe I should even tell her about the scars, she thinks that I don't care but!_'' He was interrupted as the Lift doors slid open.

He suddenly stood straight; he almost looked like he was going to shoot a salute. She smiled as she stepped inside the elevator with him, the doors closed behind her. ''_You look tense Garrus, you okay?_'' Shepard's green eyes made contact with him. He cleared his throat as he relaxed his pose, _''Uh, Yeah…''_ The lift began to travel back to Shepard's room. Shepard stepped closer to him, as she did he could finally see the Wear the last couple of days had had on her. She rested her arm on him, as she did he pulled her closer to him, his arms moving down to her waist. He smiled, '_'I would never figure you to be the sort of person to leave after sleeping with someone.''_ He spoke in his dry tone that he knew Shepard loved. She smiled as her fingers moved down his back_, _Shepard replied in a snarky tone_ ''Aww, Did you miss me Gar-gar?'' _ Garrus loathed that name, She smirked as Garrus gave a small chuckle, ''_Deny it all you want Shepard, but I know you care.'' _He smiled back at her as she reached up to him kissing him.

They kissed Shepard's lips pressing against Garrus's mouth she gave a small moan of relief, as if all her worries just disappeared, Garrus was always confused by the act of ''Kissing'', It was so messy he tried his best to keep up with Shepard but he never really knew what he was doing. He must have been pretty good though, Shepard always seemed to enjoy it, as did he when he wasn't worrying about what he was doing. Her fingers brushed his chest as she continued to kiss him, his mandibles flared as he pulled her closer to him.

They hadn't noticed but the lift had already arrived at Shepard's quarters the doors remained open to the small but cold hallway just outside her door.

She finally broke away from the kiss, their lips parting; she continued to smile at him her eyes glittering in the harsh lights of the elevator. Garrus cleared his throat again, ''_Well that was nice…_'' He still stood close to her one of his arms resting on her waist, '_'A lot better than a Krogan kiss _''. Shepard raised an eyebrow as she stared at him with ''That look'', '_'Uh.. Not like you kiss like one! Or look like one! Uh…_'' He dropped his head in embarrassment. He muttered to himself before Shepard spoke breaking the awkward tension.

''_You do have a gift with words Garrus'' _She took his hand, entwining her fingers in his as she pulled him into her cabin.

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><p>(Authors notes)<em> Another short chapter, but I think their more manageable like this, plus some people don't have time to read huge chapters. <em>

_Maybe the next one will be bigger, tell me what you want, I can make short chapters but upload them faster, or make bigger ones, but they will take me a little longer._

_Anyway thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed the story, until next time!_

_;P_

_(And really thanks for the nice comments on the last chapter)_


	3. Moments alone: Chapter 3, Release

(Authors notes) So yeah another chapter ;P I know this came out a little fast, but I had some spare time so I thought ''Why the hell not'', And thanks to Starlight Sanctuary's nice review, and all the others! ;P Anyway, please enjoy.

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><p>Release<p>

Shepard laid across the bed, so comfortable in Garrus's arms she felt like she never wanted to move again. But she knew she had to, her eyes began to open slowly, she was so tired after everything that had happened, but she knew she couldn't stop, it wasn't over, not yet. It all felt like a dream, it all happened so fast. She never thought the Reapers would be here so soon, it had barely been a week since she got back from blowing up the Collector base.

She moved slightly her body still aching; Garrus tightened his grip on her not wanting her to leave. She sighed; she was so tired, so very, very, tired. She closed her eyes again if only for a moment, she couldn't stand it anymore, she tried everything she could but still nothing, nothing she could do would stop the Reapers. All she had sacrificed, everything, she really had accomplished nothing.

She felt like life was far too cruel to her; she looked up at Garrus, his mandibles slightly moving as he exhaled with his heavy breaths. She loved his warmth, his touch; she had never been close to anyone before. Why now? Why? She thought to herself her eyes continuing to watch his breathing.

After all this time, after all she'd done, now would be the time she would fall in love. The threat of the Reapers ever closer, and now was the time she wanted nothing more than him. Garrus finally turned to Shepard relaxing his grip on her, he nuzzled into her whispering under his breath, ''_don't go… Not yet''. _She didn't know what to say, she placed her head against his fringe, he purred in appreciation, she moved her hand down his body, feeling all the different textures of his skin on her fingertips. She smiled not wanting to move but she knew she had to, her terminal beeped a few hours ago with a private message, and she couldn't just leave the crew to their own devices. She had already been missing for two days; she couldn't let them wait any longer.

But to be honest, she didn't know what to do; Hackett had told her to be ready for the inevitable trial, she tried her hardest, but she just didn't have time, she just couldn't save them… And now, she had to pay the price, and not just with their blood on her hands, she had finally screwed up big enough to almost cause a galactic war.

She finally pulled away from Garrus, sitting up she ran her fingers through her hair, Garrus sighed as he fiddled with his talons before sitting up as well, he was curious about what Shepard had planned next, she always had a plan. She stood up looking down at Garrus on the bed, she smiled at him, it was so easy to forget how tall he was, His body sat on the edge of the bed his clawed feet taping the cold steel beneath them. He stretched his arms turning his head to Shepard, ''_So… Uh What now?_'', Garrus asked curiously as Shepard walked up the steps of her cabin to the fish tank opposite her desk. ''_Well, I go on trial for that batarian colony, but only if the Reapers haven't turned up by then…'', _She pressed a command into the console on the fish tank activating the feeding program.

''_Remind me why we bother with this universe?''_ He mumbled as he stood up walking closer to Shepard. She couldn't help but smirk at Garrus's comment, _''Maybe because this is the only one we have?_'' He stepped closer to her, briefly looking at the fish franticly swimming to the top of their tank trying desperately to get as much food as they could. '' _Well I'm sure it can't be that hard to find a new one'_', he smiled at Shepard hugging her one last time; he towered over her as she wrapped her arms around him to.

They both stood there for a moment in complete silence, apart from the occasional humming from the fish tank. For some reason Garrus couldn't take his eyes off these strange creatures, he tried to imagine being at the fishes mercy, as he gently floated down the tank just like one of those strange flakes. He then began imaging being eaten alive by fish, he shook his head as he swallowed a nervous lump in his throat. This is why I should never be left alone with fish he thought until he was snapped out of his bizarre daydreams by a faint sobbing. '_'Shepard?_'' He looked down at the small human in his arms, her head buried in his chest.

The quiet sobbing continued, Garrus was in awe, he didn't know how to react he'd never seen a human cry before. He tried calming down before he spoke again, genuinely worried about his mate, ''_Shepard? What's wrong..? Am I hurting you?_'' He relaxed his arms letting Shepard free, but she didn't move, she just stood there her face still hidden.

She wiped a tear from her eye, she hated crying the only thing she hated more was crying in front of other people. She tried speaking but her voice sounded shrill and distraught, ''_I'm scared Garrus…''_, '_'Scared? Of what?''. _As soon as those words left his mouth he felt like beating himself over his head for being so stupid, of course she was scared! She had to face the scrutiny of an entire race with the imminent threat of all organic life in the galaxy being destroyed, and here he was asking stupid questions.

He bent down lower to get a better look at his mate, she continued to try and hide he face away from him, he moved his talon under her chin lifting it up gently as he smiled at her, ''_Hey… Don't cry, it's okay, I'm here Nothings going to happen, don't worry, we'll find a way…'',_ her tears subsided for the moment as she was forced to stare into Garrus's caring eyes.

She spoke again her voice still sounding distraught ''_I don't know if I can do this Garrus''_, Garrus's mandibles flared in frustration and upset, he wanted to make his mate feel better, but, he just didn't know what to say. He blinked as he exhaled ready to speak again, he had to say something, his mate was depending on him.

''_Listen, if anyone can do this, it's you Shepard, I don't know a single other being in this universe that I fear more than you_'', She couldn't help but smile at Garrus's worryingly genuine sounding words.

She wiped her eyes free of tears before clearing her throat to regain her normal tone, ''_Thanks Gar-gar''_ She smirked as she flung her arms around him, As soon as he heard the words ''Gar-gar'' his face dropped, How could Shepard be so cruel?

Eventually she retreated into the shower and Garrus took this as his cue to leave, he didn't want to but he got the impression that Shepard wanted some space, even if it was just for a moment.

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><p>(Authors notes) Thanks for reading, I felt happier with this one because I finally got to write more about Shepard, and plus it had some pretty cute scenes in it. ;P<p>

(You know your a nerd when you add Garrus's name to your dictionary on word ;p )


	4. Moments alone: Chapter 4, Pressure

(Authors notes) _Another new chapter up! Story really seems to be shaping up! Please enjoy!_

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><p>Pressure<p>

Shepard tapped the keys on her holopad as she stood in the Briefing room on the Normandy, ''_Shepard?_'' EDI's holographic projection suddenly appeared in the centre of the room. Shepard moved her busy eyes from the work she held in front of her, ''_Any differences EDI?'' _she asked hopefully. She spoke again, her strange artificial voice echoed in Shepard's mind, _''I'm afraid not commander, the results were the same''_, She sighed dropping the holopad at her side, _''Thanks EDI, Can you run the next simulation for me?''_, it almost seemed as EDI's protection nodded, ''_of course commander''_. As she spoke her last words she quickly faded away and Shepard was left alone once again.

She lifted her right hand staring at the Holopad she held, she didn't feel like working anymore, every simulation she ran ended worse than the last. She mumbled to herself as she dropped the holopad on the table in front of her. She leaned over it her head swinging, but she had to get her team ready, she wasn't going to be here forever, and she needed to make sure they wouldn't fall apart like they did before. they couldn't afford that now, not with the Reapers nearing their goal. She gazed up for a moment opening a hologram of Earth in the centre of the table.

She stared at it as it slowly span around on its axis, she had spent all morning running simulations with EDI, trying to figure out just how Earth could defend such a threat, the answer was becoming clearer and clearer.

She closed the Hologram turning away from the table; she exhaled slowly as she closed her eyes. It had finally reached her, the fear, the pain, and the panic, she couldn't show it, but it was there, creeping around, underneath her skin. All those battles she won, she used to think she really could pull this thing off, but now, her hope was radically disappearing.

She had no real way to judge the threat of the Reapers, no way to know their numbers, their forces, and the true power of indoctrination. It really hadn't hit her before, now as the time came ever closer; the scale of this whole thing had finally knocked Shepard off her feet. She was just hoping she could pull herself back together before it was too late.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by another appearance from EDI, Shepard turned to face EDI hiding her own thoughts away. ''_What you got for me EDI? Any good news?_'' Shepard sounded more desperate then she really wanted to. EDI was silent for a moment before continuing, ''_The simulation ended as predicted, no successful defence was possible.''_ Shepard's eyes dropped to what felt like the pit of her stomach. EDI's image still remand in the room, ''_Shepard?_'' She spoke again much to Shepard's surprise. ''_We don't have the relevant data to truly suggest our calculations are completely accurate''_, she paused again as if she was waiting for Shepard's reaction but only got a blank stare, ''_I would suggest we take a break, my scans show that your blood pressure has risen by twenty-one percent''_. Shepard sighed, she didn't want to stop working, she didn't have time anymore, she needed to be ready, she needed the others to be ready, she… She needed him to be ready.

Shepard straightened her poses, ''_EDI, I'm fine run the next simulation please''_ , EDI still remained, Shepard raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms, ''_Shepard'', _EDI spoke faster this time, _''Under Cerberus guide lines, I'm not allowed to give any over worked staff access to my systems''_.

When Shepard heard the name Cerberus her stomach flipped, she didn't even know how the Illusive man would react to her actions of blowing up the Collectors base, but she wasn't an idiot, she would never hand over something that powerful to just one man, especially a man like him.

She sighed stepping closer to the projection of EDI; Shepard spoke in a soft but strong tone, _''Like it or not EDI, We're not with Cerberus anymore, this is my ship now.''_, Shepard and EDI stared at each other her eyes watching the light blue of the AI's avatar. ''_Of course commander''_ EDI disappeared as fast as she spoke her last words, Shepard sighed with relief she didn't doubt that EDI had the power to drag Shepard out the airlock. As much as she wanted to trust EDI, there was always a niggling doubt in the back of her mind, she knew on some level EDI cared for the crew, but she could never understand her true motives. She thought about what it must be like to only exist to serve other people, sometimes she wished she could talk with EDI about it, but she never knew how to engage her in a real conversation.

She began walking to the door of the conference room, wanting to walk around the Normandy, even for a brief moment. She left through the armoury, trying to avoid any more conversations about her health with crewmembers. Not that she didn't like the fact they cared, but she just didn't have time to stop, she nodded to Jacob as she moved through the armoury, he spoke her name in acknowledgement, _''Shepard''_.

She and Jacob got on well enough, but she didn't have any real conversation with him, she knew he meant well, but he had a lot to deal with, after all, it's not every day you discover that your father is taking advantage of vulnerable people by destroying their minds then using them for… The thought sent shivers down her spine, she didn't want to think about it anymore, she had bigger problems to worry about.

She stepped out into the CIC, the orange glow of the Normandy's projection filled the room with a warm light, most of the crew in the room continued their business but occasionally she would catch one of them glancing her way. She walked up to her private terminal, nodding at Kelly as she did, Kelly smiled back at the commander happy to see her, they hadn't talked in a couple days, but it didn't matter to her she was just glad to see her on her feet, she spoke in her bubbly tone ''_No messages for you commander!''. _Shepard nodded again before opening her terminal, she wanted to check up with the news, and see if there had been any word on the Batarian colony yet, strangely there hadn't.

Garrus stared at his computer screen unable to continue with his work, his mind was so distracted; he was so taken aback by Shepard crying it was such an alien concept to him. ''_Crying..?'' _He muttered to himself as he wondered what he could do to make Shepard feel better, sadly nothing sprang to mind. He hadn't seen her since that evening, he thought it might be a wise idea to give her some space, he was increasingly regretting that decision.

Shepard's smile wouldn't leave his mind, nor would her sent, her touch, her… Garrus shook his head franticly bringing his thoughts back to the present. He tried to continue his calibrations but he just couldn't clear his head. He sighed stepping back from his console, he was wondering what she was doing know, maybe she was back in her quarters waiting for him, that look in her eyes when they were together, He grunted as his Mandibles flickered at the thought. He needed to see her, to touch her, to let her know he loved her.

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><p>(Authors notes) <em>So I know that was short but I don't think its even been 24 hours since the last chapter! :P Thanks for all the comments and reviews I've received they really do mean a lot. <em>

_So by the looks of it we seem to be nearing the end of this story, maybe another chapter or two till the end, (Depends on the length) But I don't plan to just leave it there! _

_(I haz a plan, but no spoilers!)_

_Thanks for reading!_

_Till next time! _


	5. Moments alone: Chapter 5, Belief

(Authors notes) _Hello once again, I know this chapter took awhile to come out, but I've been rather ill so I didn't get much of a chance to write a lot, anyway Its much longer then my last ones. Please enjoy!_

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><p>Belief<p>

Shepard had returned to the conference room awaiting a reply from Councillor Anderson, the message she received from him the night before was worrying, the Council wanted to see her, and they didn't want a simple catch up. She continued to stare blankly out into space as the thought of meeting the council again crept into her head, ''_this isn't going to be good…_'' She mumbled to herself.

Her arms stretched out in front of her as she picked up her holopad, the results were the same, no change, She sighed before summoning EDI, _''EDI?''. _The AI responded almost immediately, _''Yes commander?'', _Shepard looked back down at her holopad for a brief moment before answering EDI, _''Let's take a break for now, call me if anymore messages from Hackett or Anderson come through.'', ''As you wish commander, Logging you out'',_ EDI disappeared again and Shepard stared down at the holopad's that had piled up around her.

Garrus gave a nervous cough as he rode the elevator up with Miranda, he was always uncomfortable being with her, but he was never sure why. They continued their journey without saying a word to each other, Garrus shifted in his spot. Why couldn't I get stuck in here with Tail! We always have good conversations in these things! Miranda kept glancing over to the increasingly nervous Garrus's, he felt like saying something, he cleared his throat before speaking the most forced words he'd ever said. ''_So… Uh you're human right? How's that turning out for you..?''. _Miranda stopped and stared at the strange Turian, ''_your perceptive skills amaze me Garrus'',_ Garrus could never tell if Miranda was joking or not, he just decided to give out a forced laugh instead. ''_Hah… Ha…''_ He coughed again.

She turned away from him the elevator was nearing its destination, Miranda spoke again surprising Garrus, maybe he wasn't so bad at this talking stuff after all, a small grin landed on his face. ''_Garrus? What floor are you heading too?'', _There was a moment of silence as Garrus was distracted by his own thoughts, Miranda repeated herself. ''_Garrus! What floor?'', _'_'What_?'' He was snapped out of his trance, what an idiot he'd been, he was so nervous riding the elevator with Miranda he'd forgotten to choose his floor. He mumbled embarrassed by his mistake, _''Just the CIC… please…'' _He scratched the back of his head as he spoke avoiding eye contact with her.

Shepard had left the conference room she was walking towards Mordin's office, her head began to ache, she reached up a hand to it as she took a pause in her walking, This day just keeps getting better and better… She hadn't been sleeping properly, and it had started to take its toll on her. Her eyes stung as she closed them. This is just great… She continued talking to herself, wondering if she should see Mordin about it, she found it easier to get medical help from him, she knew Chakwas too well for her to be professional with Shepard.

She decided to finally get some help; she would just be stupid if she continued to ignore it any longer. She opened the door to Moridn's lab, smiling as she saw him, ''_Hey Mordin? Got a sec?''._

Mordin looked up from his monitor; his dark eyes watched the tired Shepard enter the room. _''Ah! Shepard! Good to see you, haven't talked since you disappeared, had crew worried, wondered where you went''. _Hecontinued rambling, his talking getting faster and faster, until Shepard's head felt like it was going to explode. _''Heard about the Batarian's, wonder what will happen, and the Reapers, Think you did the right thing, we're not ready for them, don't know if we ever will be, must hope though, like an old friend said ''we must hold the line'',''. _Shepard felt like screaming, she thought seeing Mordin would be a peaceful experience. He coughed as he finally ceased his rambles, ''_Anyway, what can I help you with Shepard?''_, Shepard sighed with relief as the screaming in her ears seemed to fade. Now she was left staring at the Salarian's cold black eyes, finding it hard not to be distracted by all the strange and alien medical equipment on his desk. _''Shepard?''_ He asked again waiting for a reply, ''_What..? Oh yeah..'', _She finally managed to pull her eyes away from the clutter on Mordins desk. Mordins eyes widened, as he paced around Shepard as if he was examining her, ''_Hmm… Interesting…''_. Shepard raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms, ''_Got something to say Mordin?_''. He quickly recalled to his desk an intrigued look on his face, ''_Nothing to worry about, Tell me Shepard? How much sleep have you been getting?''_, Shepard was slightly surprised by his question, did she really look that tired?

''_What do you mean by that?'' _She sounded more defensive then she really meant to. He replied swiftly, ''_Sorry did not mean to offend, your just showing common symptoms of sleep deprivation'', _His eyes scanned Shepard's body. ''_Bad posture, easily distracted, dark bags under eyes… slow to respond to stimuli'', _he paused for a moment to take a breath,_ ''Any headaches Shepard?''._ She tried readjusting her posture, she was really taken aback by Mordin's comments, she opened her mouth but no words seemed to move from her lips, ''_Uh.. Well…''. _Mordin tapped a couple keys on his computer as Shepard tried to respond to Mordin.

''_Really, I'm fine Mordin, nothing serious, I was just wondering if you could give me something..''. _She rubbed the back of her neck, avoiding eye contact with the Salarian_, ''You know, to help me sleep…''._ Mordin opened his arms in a rejoicing manner. He couldn't help but be pleased with his correct diagnosis of Shepard, ''_Of course Shepard! But…'', _He paused for far to long for Shepard's liking, she didn't like where this was going. ''_Sleep deprivation is quite a serious issue, it's not always as simple as it seems, How to put this…''._ Shepard remained standing and listening to the doctors fast paced words, even though her concentration was slipping. Mordin dropped his arms before pondering for a moment, he always found it difficult simplifying things to others ''_Stress is a big factor in sleep deprivation Shepard, I can help you, but not only with pills, most patients suffering with the same symptoms find that emotional help can be just as effective if not better in most cases''._

Shepard gave a silent sigh to herself, she didn't want to spend what was left of her time talking about her issues with Mordin, he had enough trouble making normal conversation. She continued to rub the back of her neck, she found it surprisingly comforting, it really had become a bad habit of hers. She finally answered Mordin, '_'Mordin, thanks for the help… But I really don't want to talk to anyone, can I just have the pills..?_''. Mordin's eyes dropped as did his tone, ''_Ah… Of course Shepard, I'll send them up right now...''._ He tapped his Omni tool, Shepard hated hearing the disappointment in his voice, and she knew he would like nothing better than to get into her head. She began to feel like she had out stayed her welcome, she thanked Mordin again before sliding away.

Garrus had been riding the elevator for a while now, his trip with Miranda had been and gone, and so had his floor, he just couldn't bring himself to go up there. He grunted to himself as his mandibles twitched. He felt like such a coward, he just wanted to hide away in the main battery where no one could see him. He continued to grunt to himself as the elevator endured its journeys up and down the Normandy. Why was he so scared of what Shepard would say? He didn't like disturbing her when she worked, he chuckled to himself as he thought about all the times Shepard had interrupted his calibrations, it was obvious she had no problem with interrupting him.

Shepard watched the Galaxy map in the centre of the CIC, her heading still spinning from the thought of the Reapers reaching Earth so soon. Ever since she'd escaped the ''Project'' and destroyed the Mass relay, she hadn't been able to concentrate. She felt like her mind had been slipping ever since; her eyes watched the light of the Galaxy map for a while before she felt them begin to close. She shook herself awake; the last thing she would want the crew to see would be here sleeping at her desk. She turned towards the elevator wanting to put Mordin's pills to the test.

She left the navigation deck without saying a word; she waited for the elevator to arrive on her floor, unaware that Garrus had decided to take a trip to every floor. He had clicked all the buttons out of curiosity, he had gotten so bored riding the elevator continuously, that he had begun counting how long it would take for it to get to Shepard's Cabin to the Engineer bay. For some reason, even though he decided not to see Shepard, he still couldn't let himself off this thing, as if he wouldn't leave without her. He sighed in frustration as he lost count of the bolts on the wall.

Shepard tapped the button to call the elevator again, getting increasingly impatient. Come on! Come on! Where was this thing? Please don't tell me it's stuck, that's the last thing she needed. She leaned against the wall waiting for her ride away from the responsibility that hanged over her head.

Garrus was quite intrigued by all the people he'd seen on his adventures in this elevator, luckily none of them wanted to make small talk with him. He'd began counting the bolts in the walls idly again. The lift reached the CIC stopping and sliding open its heavy doors. Shepard stood straight as soon as she heard it arrive, making sure she looked sharp. Garrus was still counting the bolts on the walls as the doors opened. Shepard raised an eyebrow in curiosity, why on Earth was Garrus riding the elevator? She watched him for a while, he still hadn't noticed her standing in front of him. She watched his lips as he muttered to himself the amount of bolts he was counting. She cleared her throat to get Garrus's attention, ''_we have to stop meeting here…'' _She smiled as she spoke.

His mandibles froze still as he heard her voice, he immediately snapped to attention as he saw her standing in the doorway, the light of the holograms flickering behind her. His eyes were fixated on hers, he spoke in his common snarky tone, '_'Well maybe I just like elevator rides, there are seventy-five bolts in this thing you know_''. Shepard blinked before replying to Garrus, ''_Good to know, if we ever need an elevator expert I know who to call''._ Shepard walked inside the elevator that was now filled with a pacing Turian. Shepard smiled at him still wondering why he was really here.

Garrus's breathing had gotten heavier, he was nervous, he didn't want to make Shepard cry again, but he had no idea what to do if he did. Shepard relaxed by leaning against the wall of the lift, pressing in the command for her floor, she glanced a look over at Garrus. ''_You coming up?''_ She asked curiously, her head lent towards Garrus, his talons twitched at his sides for a moment, ''_Ah… Sure, I mean… If you want me to?''. _She smiled stepping closer to him, stopping his pacing he paused over her, he could smell her again, it was so unique, he felt like telling her how much he loved it, but he'd heard Humans could be very… Particular about their smell. ''_Of course I do…'', _her soft fingers moved up towards his collar, they rested there as she moved closer for a kiss, he complied with her actions.

The lift reached Shepard's room, suddenly all the noise and work in the CIC seemed so far away. ''_Shepard?''_, Garrus broke the silence as she was about to reach up and kiss him, ''_What is it Garrus..?''_. He coughed nervously before blurting out his words, ''_your standing on my feet…''._

She reacted suddenly pulling away from him, embarrassed she blushed slightly, ''_Sorry, I didn't see them there'' _He smiled the best a Turian could smile and took her hand. ''_Don't worry about it, you do it all the time, I just never mention it'', _he chuckled in an attempt to tease her. She gave him a gentle punch on the arm before storming away into her room. Garrus continued to chuckle to himself as he followed her inside.

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><p>(Authors notes) <em>Thanks for reading, I know this chapter is a lot longer then the last couple ones, I'm doing a little experimenting, tell me what you think of it.<em>

_So if all goes as planed next chapter will be the last of this story, I do plan on continuing it, so don't worry! ;P_

_Thanks for all the reviews! They really do mean a lot! If you think there's anything I can improve on please say! And if you have any ideas please share them! _

_That's all from me! Till next time!_

_bye"_


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